4th grade · Ages 9–10
Webelos (rhymes with “see-the-rose”) is where Cub Scouts shifts toward the older-scout program. The Webelos year is more demanding, more outdoor-focused, and starts pointing scouts toward Scouts BSA.
What Webelos do
Webelos work on:
- Six required adventures to earn the Webelos rank
- A long list of elective adventures, many of them outdoor skills that prepare scouts for Scouts BSA
- Their first taste of more serious outdoor activities: longer hikes, more campouts, real navigation, more advanced first aid
- Pack events alongside the younger ranks
The big shift in Webelos is independence. Webelos scouts are expected to take ownership of their advancement, plan and lead parts of meetings, and start operating with less direct parent involvement during den activities.
How Webelos dens work
Webelos dens meet twice a month, typically for an hour or a bit longer. Webelos meetings often include outdoor components and trips to places that connect to adventures — fire stations, parks, nature centers, local businesses.
Some pack events get more demanding for Webelos: longer hikes, overnight campouts that go past the basics, and joint events with local Scouts BSA troops.
What you need
Webelos can wear either the standard blue Cub Scout shirt or the tan Scouts BSA shirt, which they’ll continue to use after they cross over. Many families choose the tan shirt at the start of the Webelos year so it lasts longer.
- Cub Scout shirt (blue) OR Scouts BSA shirt (tan) — your choice
- Webelos neckerchief (plaid) and slide
- Webelos rank patch (earned during the year)
- Webelos handbook
If you go with the tan shirt, the patches placement is slightly different — your den leader can show you. The Scout Shop staff are also extremely helpful with this.
Crossing into Scouts BSA
By the end of 5th grade (Arrow of Light year), most scouts decide whether to continue into Scouts BSA. We work with local troops throughout the Webelos and Arrow of Light years so scouts can visit, camp, and get a feel for what’s next.
What’s next
Webelos move up to Arrow of Light in 5th grade — the final and highest Cub Scout rank.